‘Here Lies Love,’ ‘Great Comet’ Shatter Records in Lortel Nominations

Two immersive Off Broadway buzzmagnets, the David Byrne-Fatboy Slim disco tuner “Here Lies Love” and Tolstoy-and-vodka musical “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,” earned a record-breaking 11 nominations each for the 2014 Lucille Lortel Awards, the annual legit kudos that focus on Off Broadway fare.

In previous years, single titles have racked up eight noms at most, as was the case with the pre-Broadway run of “Urinetown” in 2002.

The muscular showing for “Here Lies Love,” directed by “Rocky” helmer Alex Timbers, and for Dave Malloy’s “Great Comet” is in part a mark of a strong season for new musicals Off Broadway. Both titles originated in nonprofit productions that were well-received enough to prompt commercial producers to pick them up for commercial runs. The two other nominees in the Lortels’ musical category, Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron’s “Fun Home” and the Burt Bacharach revue “What’s It All About,” also earned glowing reviews and spawned talk of a future life in the commercial sphere.

The revival of “Good Person of Szechuan,” starring Taylor Mac and Kron, led the list of play nominees with a total of five nods including revival, a category in which it will compete with the recent repeat run of “Hand to God” at MCC Theater, among other shows in the running.

Richard Nelson, whose four-play cycle about the Apple family ended this season, will earn a star on the Lortel’s playwrights sidewalk in Gotham’s Greenwich Village. As previously announced, the Lortels’ lifetime achievement kudo will go to producer Robyn Goodman (“Avenue Q,” “Cinderella”).

Awards will be handed out May 4 in a ceremony hosted by Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman, both appearing in the upcoming Off Broadway opener “Annapurna.”

2014 LUCILLE LORTEL AWARDS NOMINATIONS

Outstanding Play

“Bad Jews”

Produced by Roundabout Theatre Company

Written by Joshua Harmon

“Domesticated”

Produced by Lincoln Center Theater

Written by Bruce Norris

“The Night Alive”

Produced by Atlantic Theater Company

Written by Conor McPherson

“The Open House”

Produced by Signature Theatre

Written by Will Eno

Outstanding Musical

“Fun Home”

Produced by The Public Theater

Music by Jeanine Tesori, Book and Lyrics by Lisa Kron

Based on the Alison Bechdel book

“Here Lies Love”

Produced by The Public Theater

Concept and Lyrics by David Byrne, Music by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim,